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September 29, 2006
It was 14 Years Ago Today
Fourteen years ago today we moved to Fairfield. For me and Deb, that’s a just under a quarter of our lives but for the kids, it’s the majority of their life. At the time we moved, they were six and four and objected most strenuously to the move. After all, they were leaving their very best friends behind. (Both had at best one friend each at the time, more through circumstances at pre-school and kindergarten than anything else.)
They were resistant to the idea and the fact that they didn’t see the house in its entirety until the move didn’t help with the transition. Worse, timing being what it was, first grade was starting before the closing on the old and new homes could be completed. Deb’s brother Jim, who was living in town at the time, volunteered to house Kate so she wouldn’t miss the crucial first weeks. His wife Margaret happily took Kate to school and someone collected her in the afternoon. Every Friday, after work, Deb would schlep up to Connecticut to collect Kate for the weekend and return her on Sunday. We did our bedtime routine by phone during the week. It helped but it wasn’t ideal for anyone, especially after Margaret learned she was pregnant and needed some bed rest.
The closing in Connecticut was a dream (NY closing are a pain in the butt) and we did the walk through, discovering to our surprise the previous owners (whom we never met, an oddity of the home sale system in the state) had shut off all the utilities. We quickly had things turned on and the day before the move, Deb was supervising a cleaning crew to make the house shipshape for the move.
On moving day, the skies were ominous. Deb, the kids, the cat and the movers were headed north by lunchtime. The nanny Bonnie and I remained behind for the finally sweep of the premises and then, with the dog, also made the drive to our new home state.
By the time we arrived, the skies had opened up and stayed open as movers trudged through the house with boxes. Since we intended to finish the basement, we filled the living room from floor to ceiling with boxes, most of which were intended for the basement. The white carpet in the family room, despite our best efforts, grew brown and grey with mud and muck. The animals were locked away in the bathroom to avoid escaping or getting under foot. Both kids weren’t sure about their new home as we struggled to get their beds set up early.
My how times flies.
Today, we can’t go through town without recognizing people we know. Neither kid would dare suggest living anywhere else. We met friends through the Welcome Club we still socialize with and as you all know, I’ve gotten deeply involved via the RTM, Parking Authority, Cable Advisory Council and the Democratic Town Committee. Deb and the kids are active through the Church and she’s part of a knitting group that meets twice a month.
It’s all good and looking back, I’m certain we did the right thing for the family. Lynbrook always felt temporary for us and Fairfield always felt like home (even if I still can’t find my way around parts of town).
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 03:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 27, 2006
Bob the Freelancer Update
It's been about a month so I figured it was time to provide an update:
Completed and Awaiting Publication
Cutting Edge Careers: Artificial Intelligence (Rosen )
"Things that Aren't", Analog Magazine, early 2007
In the News: Suicide Bombers (Rosen)
Delivered to Editor and Awaiting Edits or Proofs
“Troubleshooting”, Star Trek: Corps of Engineers (Pocket eBook); awaiting copy edited ms.
14 essays in You Said What? (William Morrow), saw edited ms., awaiting galleys
“Ghost Hunting” in untitled Phantom anthology (Moonstone Books); King Features approved, awaiting copy edited ms.
“Steel and Chrome” in untitled BattleTech anthology; editor indicates project back on line, may see a contract and editorial notes soon
Essay for untitled Wonder Woman collection (BenBella Books); awaiting copy edited ms.
Essay for Webslinger - Spider-Man collection – copy edited ms. back to editor
Media tie-in comic book – script in, awaiting approval before announcing
“Winter in Fairfield”, Fairfield Magazine
Writing Projects
"Only the Best for Cristina Yang" -- essay for BenBella Grey's Anatomy collection -- due October 1, draft complete, waiting to see this week's episode before polishing
"Things That Aren't"-sequel -- Michael A. Burstein has begun putting together plot notes
Actionopolis novel – currently being written
Predator: Flesh and Blood – Michael Jan Friedman at work on outline and opening chapter then hand off to me for first drafting
Star Trek: The Nex Generation: Slings and Arrows Book Five -- outline due December 1
Back Issue: Round table dicussion about Star Trek comic books underway via e-mail
Custom comic book – samples with editor (now likely dead)
Media tie-in novel – first pitch nixed, researching to try again
Media tie-in book – Publisher investigating license
Media tie-in novel -- two different publishers have since been informed the license has been placed elsewhere, now trying to find editor at winning publisher
Media tie-in book 3 – Both licensee and licensor have told me they want me to work on a project, with little in the way of details as of now, but it’s nice to be wanted
Original novel – revising proposal
Non-Fiction book collaboration – prepping outline and sample chapter
Editing Projects
Dark Forces -- first attempt with talent rejected, project brought in house
7 unannounced Platinum Studios projects – all need artists, offers out to artists; all in various stages of development
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 02:45 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 26, 2006
Back to Business
After a one month break, the RTM got back to work this month. As you recall, last week at the committee meetings, I stepped up to Finance Chair as part of the dominoes that tipped over in the wake of Mary Tinti’s resignation.
Last night, at the caucus, I met Paul Cramer, her replacement on the body. I recognized the slight deer-in-the-headlights look, since it wasn’t all that long ago I was stepping in to replace someone. Paul has only been in town two years and sounds ready to step up and get involved. Partly to serve the town, he says, and partly to meet people. Well, last night he met plenty.
As caucus broke, our Moderator, Joel Green, told me to have Paul at my side during the meeting so I could talk him through the process. It was more or less like having live color commentary during the action. We put Paul between myself and Martha Brooks, a shrewd political mind and a nice neighbor to know.
During all this time, I was seeing just how far I had come since finally giving in and getting more involved in town government. I knew everyone on sight, by name if not by district. I knew most of the opposition party, could deal with town officials, members of the School Board and Board of Finance. I was far more comfortable with the process, the players and the politics involved.
The meeting itself was mild and a perfect first exposure for a new member. We made several appointments, accepted several state grants, debated an offer of property which we chose to put off until someone could tell us if it’s been used as a dumping ground. While approving three contracts with unions, one got snarled when a seemingly innocent question turned into an accounting show and tell that took our Chief Financial Guru and our First Selectman nearly ten minutes to explain (all they needed were 27 8x10 color, glossy photographs with the circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one to make it any clearer). In the end, we all learned that the Pension Funds outperformed expectations the last two years running which means they are very well over funded allowing us to divert some of the money to start up a new fund that we’re mandated to create. Said fund is new and few in the state or nation have done it before us so we’re slowly and cautiously figuring out how to do it. Me, I’d go to the bank and say, “I want to open an account, here’s $4 million dollars”, and move on. Apparently, government doesn’t work as simply.
We were done by 9:15 which also meant we could all enjoy our bi-partisan socialable soda without making too late a night of it. Paul joined us and got to hear more about the people and the town and he seemed to be fitting right in. Sort of like me.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 23, 2006
The Next Assignment
As announced elsewhere yesterday by my editor, Keith DeCandido:
In Star Trek: First Contact, Geordi La Forge said that the Enterprise-E had been in service for a year. As we mostly saw in the fourth and fifth seasons of Deep Space Nine, it was quite a year: the Federation-Klingon alliance was sundered, Cardassia's government fell, the Maquis continued to operate with impunity, and paranoia over Changeling infiltration of the Alpha Quadrant was at an all-time high, to the point where a Starfleet admiral's conspiracy to declare martial law on Earth was almost successful.
Closer to home, Will Riker's "twin" Tom Riker joined the Maquis and was captured by the Cardassians, Deanna Troi's mother gave birth to a half-Tavnian son, Data grew accustomed to his emotion chip (and learned to turn it off), La Forge gave up his VISOR for a set of optical implants, and the ship saw some new arrivals, including Lieutenants Hawk (conn) and Daniels (tactical).
However, the fiction has done little with that first year of the Enterprise-E's existence: only two novels take place in that time period (Ship of the Line and Section 31: Rogue).
Until now, anyhow. As part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of STAR TREK: The Next Generation, Pocket Books presents Slings and Arrows, a six-eBook miniseries chronicling the year leading up to First Contact, which will begin in October 2007.
Specific plot details will be released soon (though there are some hints in the opening two paragraphs of this post), but here's the tentative title and author list:
October 2007: Book 1: A Sea of Troubles by J. Steven York & Christina F. York
November 2007: Book 2: The Oppressor’s Wrong by Phaedra M. Weldon
December 2007: Book 3: The Insolence of Office by William Leisner
The final three eBooks will be released in early 2008:
Book 4: That Sleep of Death by Terri Osborne
Book 5: A Weary Life by Robert Greenberger
Book 6: Enterprises of Great Pitch and Moment by Keith R.A. DeCandido
(All titles derived from the "To be or not to be" soliloquy from Shakespeare's Hamlet.)
I have to say, I’m very happy to be a part of the anniversary celebration. Working alongside these give fine writers should prove fun and interesting. We’ll be largely compartmentalized but since we’re sharing the same ship, crew and time period, no doubt we will have some coordination to work out – something I look forward to.
Keith, the editor, tapped me because of my success with TNG and based on my work on A Time to Love andA Time to Hate so it was logical for me to get the Riker-focused story. I’m at work on the outline and should have some fun.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 05:20 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 21, 2006
Suicide Notes
I just had an interesting visceral reaction to a news report over at Newsarama regarding something near and dear to my heart.
Back in the 1980s, I proudly had a hand in the creation of Suicide Squad, reviving an old DC team and thoroughly updating it for modern times. It was a very Silver Age thing for me to do and I delighted in planning and scheming with writer John Ostrander.
From the outset, the reader identification character was to be Rick Flag, the original team leader from the Brave & Bold issues. He was the sole survivor of the team and a veteran of some ugly battles. Flag had a bit of a death wish given his survivor’s guilt, letting him take unnecessary risks to get the job done.
It was also clear to John that Flag was going to pay the price for that recklessness sooner or later. We had decided we’d close out the series’ second year by letting Flag go out in a blaze of glory, dying in a nuclear explosion. It worked for stirring things up for the title and for the character.
So, I was reading Greg Rucka’s thoughts on the latest incarnation of the team, soon to appear in his Checkmate. Buried towards the interview’s end was his comment that Flag was back from the dead. I say out loud, “No, he’s dead!” No doubt, I have now joined the legion of editors, writers and artists to disagree with an editorial decision regarding characters once under my control.
Flag’s story was told. It all was tied up with a very nice boom. I can see little reason in resurrecting him. On the other hand, he now joins an illustrious collection of characters whose stories were told only to find yet another chapter awaited them – Bucky, Jason Todd, Arisia, Kilowog, and so on.
Still, it’s been a while since I read something that earned such an emotional response. I loved working on Suicide Squad, getting some terrific work from artist Luke McDonnell and Karl Kesel. Heck, Karl loved the series concept so much he would send lengthy handwritten ideas to me and John, labeling them “Kesel’s Epistles”. Together, we must achieved something with the title – it lasted 66 issues and has been resurrected time and again, not a bad addition to the mythology.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 04:17 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
September 20, 2006
Mr. Chairman
It’s Friday night, we’ve gotten home on the late side and the phone rings. With the kids gone, the phone ringing on a weeknight generally means a political poll or an unwanted sales call.
Nope. It was Pat Jacobson, my esteemed fellow District 8 representative on both the DTC and the RTM.
“I have bad news, Mary Tinti has relocated.” Mary is a long-time member of the RTM and DTC, a brilliant, spirited debater and a wonderful member of the Fairfield community. With passion in her words, she has been a voice of reason through good times and bad. As I got sucked into local politics, I often turned to Mary for advice and even more, the history behind Fairfield’s political playing field. Her presence, friendship, support and point of view will be sorely missed.
With Mary gone, Pat explained, a vacancy has opened up as Assistant Majority Leader and Majority Leader Doug Jones asked Pat to fill the spot. Cool, I think. Pat’s done it before, gives more of her time than any two members of the DTC combined and is easy to work with.
“Of course, that means I have to resign as Chairman of the Finance Committee,” she continues. Ah! I’m not being called with news, I’m being recruited. “I’m calling to see if you’re interested. I’m also calling Megan to see if she’s interested.” Megan is our committee secretary and when committee secretaries were solicited last fall, they were cajoled into taking the post being told it was the “path to power”.
I expressed my interest, since it requires more organizational ability than actual political acumen or financial wizardry. Pat said swell, rung off and I figured that was that.
Mere minutes later, the phone rings again. It’s Megan, who starts with, “Congratulations.”
“But I figured you were secretary and wanted that path to power.”
“I know what they said,” Megan answered. “But I don’t really know all the rules for chairing. And don’t want to know while doing my job.”
So, since a Democrat has to be chair and with the Majority Leader and Assistant Majority Leader on the committee, there were few choices. At our Finance Committee meeting Monday, it took about 30 seconds for it to be formalized.
Frighteningly, I am now Finance chair. This means I need to start brushing up on my Robert’s Rules of Order. Does anyone know what the difference is between the 9th edition and the current 10th edition?
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 04:08 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 19, 2006
Let's Go Mets!
Finally, the New York Mets clinched the NL East last night. They had me somewhat concerned over the weekend, showing lackluster play against the Pirates. Now, the Pirates may be having a terrible season but they will be contenders in a year or two. Still, the Mets should have managed to avoid a sweep.
As columnists have noted, the Mets have several issues to settle before beginning post-season play. To me, you go with the guys who got you there and win ugly or not, Steve Trachsel deserves to be there and to start if possible (after Pedro, Glavine and El Duque, of course). You bring two catchers and not three, so if Ramon Castro is healthy, he should get the nod, if not, Kelly Stinnett is your better choice over Mike DeFelice. The bullpen is the question mark since some starters are suited for relief work. That’s why Trachsel should start over John Maine. You need Darren Oliver, Chad Bradford, Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano and Billy Wagner. After that, you need to be cautious because guys like Heath Bell, Royce Ring, and Guillermo Mota. This unfortunately means guys like Dave Williams, Brian Banister and John Maine get to watch from the stands.
When you get to round two, though, you want more than one long guy, just in case. And here’s where Maine has earned his spot.
Now it’s time to wait and see who they will face in round one of divisional playoffs. I’m personally hoping to see the Padres, Cardinals and Dodgers take the remaining spots. However, NL West and Wild Card remain up in the air and just may stay that way until the final weekend.
The Mets instituted a lottery for tickets to Round One and I won!. A little while ago, I secured tickets to see Game 2, whenever that will be played, at Shea Stadium. It’s certainly nice to win something like this and Deb may be even more jazzed than me. Our seats aren’t even that bad, Mezzanine Reserve, section 10, putting us right over the visitor’s dugout.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 01:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 18, 2006
Finally...
At long last, I can talk about my collaboration with Mike Friedman. Some many months ago, Mike called and mentioned that he was offered a Predator novel by our pal, Rob Simpson, editor at DH Books. Mike is a careful freelancer, charting out his calendar and knows what he can and cannot fit. This would be a tight squeeze on his own, but with some help, he could manage.
Mike and I have collaborated on numerous Star Trek projects so we knew our styles would mesh well in addition to our work habits. He put together an outline for 20th Century-Fox's approval and we began to wait. Days turned to weeks, April turned to May and the June deadline was beginning to look impossible. June became August and Rob admitted the schedule would need adjusting.
Finally, we got the green light to proceed and there's even a cover already! Mike is at work on fleshing out the outline and then will begin the writing so he gets a feel for the world and its characters then turn things over to me to begin pounding out a first draft.
I like Predator the movie and think these intergalactic hunters can be fun to work with. Certainly a change of pace as far as my writing goes.
I'll keep you posted regarding an actual publication schedule for Preadotr: Flesh & Blood.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 03:07 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 17, 2006
The Diminishing Editorial Cartoon
Almost a year ago, Europe was plunged into a religious firestorm by running editorial cartoons that enraged followers of Islam. The newspapers were criticized over depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, who was never to be seen by those followers. Protests, riots and fire bombings occurred on most continents by those protesting such desecration and disrespect for their beliefs.
In an effort to afford his own editorial cartoonists equal time; Iran’s nutjob-in-chief Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held a contest. Cartoonists were encouraged to submit their best material that poked at the Holocaust. The best cartoon was to be awarded $12,000. The competition and exhibition resulted in 1,193 entries from 61 countries, with 204 displayed at the Palestine Contemporary Art Museum through this week.
While American newspapers agonized loudly in print whether or not to show the cartoons that caused such furor last year, none that I have seen have even bothered to sample the current controversy.
May also I point out that the contest not only elicited a large number of entries but a particular lack of protests and destruction in the name of Yahweh? Sure, editorial writers and private individuals were outraged but no reports of riots.
Could it be that, apart from the Middle East, people are more tolerant of editorial cartoons? Or that differing points of view are expected outside of Islam? I’m not entirely sure.
While attention has been focused over there, stories also emerged this week about a Chinese cartoonist who dared to draw an image of a weeping President Hu Jintao while making a comment about the overworked labor class. It’s somewhat of a taboo to include political leaders in China’s newspaper cartoons and there was quite the hubbub over Hu’s inclusion by artist Kuang Biao. No one disputed the point of his cartoon, much as few challenged the point of the European cartoons last year.
I find all of this interesting given the current erosion of editorial cartoonists' influence and presence in newspapers around the country. As more and more newspapers look at the bottom line, they're making deep cuts, including the staff editorial cartoonist. In many cases, newspapers aren't replacing his space with something from a syndicate, it's just gone. The editorial cartoon, like the comic strips, is one of the few things that makes a newspaper unique and a reason for people to buy a copy instead of getting their news on line, or worse, on television.
Ahmadinejad wasn’t really interested in viewpoints of the Holocaust; he’s made up his mind. Instead, he was testing the limits of free speech around the world. There’s no word if the lack of outrage and fire bombings disappointed him or changed his mind.
Cartoonist Steve Greenberg wrote in Hogan's Alley, "The purpose of editorial cartooning is to provoke thought. To provoke a deeper examination of current events. To provoke readers to become angry at social injustices or political misdeeds. But these caricatures existed only to provoke a furious reaction for its own sake. Few U.S. cartoonists would embrace this goal any more than they would embrace the whole Danish Mohammed exercise -- or the Iranian counter-exercise, for that matter. We want people to be upset with us because we gored their sacred cows or showed the emperors to have no clothes, not because we deliberately tried to infuriate them.
"Editors are thinking about editorial cartoons now. But if it's for the purpose of confirming their views that controversy is a bad thing, that can't be good for the already damaged field of editorial cartooning."
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 02:59 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 15, 2006
My First Council Meeting
Last night I attended my first meeting as a full-fledged Fairfield representative to the Area 2 Cable Advisory Council. Six towns comprise Area 2 for the state of Connecticut and I got here just in time to watch the final battle during the refranchsing process.
I also joined in time to help draft the charter for what will be FairTV, the town’s public programming group, which hopefully will be formally blessed by the Board of Selectmen on Monday. What this means is that Fairfield will regain control over its Education and Government channels and content, with the hope to broadcast news and information including live government meetings. My personal hope is that by broadcasting Zoning or RTM meetings; more people in town will make themselves aware of what’s happening in town.
Our meeting was largely bringing everyone in the room up to date on the refranchsing process, what has been said, what has been written, and what happens next. The key element here is how the Department of Public Utilities will rule on Sound View’s request for refranchsing as the third-party provider of PEG (Public, Education and Government). Right now, SV’s position is that their programming – shovelware of old opera broadcasts and NASA documentaries – cost effectively services the Area. The Council disagrees as does the Attorney General and others. In fact, no one came out in favor of Sound View’s petition for renewal.
It was interesting seeing Tom Castelot, head of SV, sit in the meeting, unphazed by the quotes taken from document after document recommending the towns regain control of their E and G, leaving SV with P.
After that, we took up new business including the issue of senior citizen pricing especially in light of Cablevision moving Turner Classic Movies to a premium tier which would cost their most devoted viewers more money. We’ll be taking that up in detail at the October meeting.
Everyone there, from the towns, appear very knowledgeable and dedicated to the Council which pleases me. Seems I’ve arrived at a good time for the Council.
One of the nicer things about the meeting is that we rotate through the six towns and we also have scheduled months off so the time commitment seems a little less than the Parking Authority. And there’s even a dinner tossed in, too.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 11:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 14, 2006
You Win Some, You Lose Some
The life of a freelancer is filled with times of feast or famine, or things dropping out of the clear blue with no warning whatsoever.
On Monday, I got contacted by an editor I had never worked with. He had a media license and all his initial pitches had been rejected by the licensee. Said licensee was looking for something that used fresh characters and stories, not sequels to what had already been seen by fans. The publisher was up against a hard deadline and needed something approved this week.
It just so happened that I had a half-baked notion for a story for that particular license rattling in the back of my head so it took no time at all to put together three paragraphs – about two paragraphs more than I was told was necessary to get a rush provisional approval.
If the licensee liked it, I’d have an assignment with work due by October 15. I really wanted this and figured I’d somehow find a way to fit it in with existing freelance commitments, my sub committee schedule and my day job.
Yesterday, though, I heard back. The licensee didn’t reject my story, but wound up picking something else. The editor liked the notion well enough to hang on to it for a subsequent publishing opportunity.
Oh well. Easy come, easy go.
Also this week, I heard back from the editor of the media tie-in comic book I had written over the summer. Turns out they liked the story but decided to turn it into more of a special so could I add six pages? That and address some story points that I admittedly rushed to fit the page count. No problem. Got that done and turned in today.
Michael A. Burstein and I have cleared our decks to begin working on ideas for the sequel to our forthcoming Analog story, “Things That Aren’t” and this time I’m looking forward to being in on this from the beginning.
It’s nice to have a manageable number of projects to work with. Certainly helps fill the time and keep the freelance muscles flexed.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 03:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 12, 2006
More Government Work
I never know who reads this regularly or who reads only about certain topics. As a result, I remain continually surprised to see reaction from some postings.
Followers know that I’ve been chairing an RTM Sub Committee that is considering recommendations for ordinances as recommended by a Blue Ribbon Task Force. I’ve written after each of the first three meetings, recapping what we discussed and offering an opinion or two along the way.
As a result, some readers have decided our group must be misguided and we need to hear from people other than the town officials we’ve invited to speak. Last night, after having zero members of the public turn up for the first three meetings, we had four.
Our new item of business was to consider whether or not road ordinances need to enact for sub-divisions in town. Joining us were the head of Town Planning & Zoning, Joe Devonshuk (who I worked with closely when I served on the Parking Authority) and Public Works director Rich White. I thought listening to them would take longer but we pretty much ran through their concerns (or lack thereof) in about 30 minutes which was swell.
By now it was becoming clear that as far as the town officials we have spoke with were concerned, either the Task Force was being over-zealous with their recommendations or they were comfortable with the way things were working and weren’t really looking for drastic changes (and/or more work).
Returning to old business, we welcomed our guests and invited them to speak their minds, although I asked that we segregate topics to avoid confusion. We started in on the need for some kind of tree ordinance. The passion came through clearly and early on, and it was helpful.
Harry Ackley heard some of the points, made some connections and suddenly realized some such ordinance could actually help preserve some of the older trees – and possibly even homes – in certain sections of town.
We had a tougher time wrapping our heads around the best approach to stone walls given the variety already in town and the subjective nature of stone walls in general. This one will be tougher to solve, I suspect.
On the Demolition Delay, we were already leaning towards some additional time and most of us were swayed by the convincing arguments made by several of the speakers.
Once they left, we shifted to executive session and spent maybe another hour hashing through what we had heard and how we wanted to act. After all, we’ve now spent three meetings talking about these three items so a consensus needs to be reached and draft ordinances need to be written. The conversation was spirited and I think we’re finally resolving the issues and can definitively get things done over the next few meetings.
Got home after 10:30 but it was a productive and enlightening night.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 12:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 11, 2006
The Weekend Swarm
The prospect of being in the “empty nest” has had a certain appeal to Deb: no more fighting to use our car, fewer grocery trips, a generally neater house, etc. The notion of our first weekend without kids, though, held no appeal.
When she figured out one of her many crafts groups was gathering for their annual Swarm, it sounded like a great opportunity not to face an empty home. She decided we should celebrate our first weekend as empty nesters by going away, just the two of us – and two dozen other people.
The Swarm is a gaggle of quilters from around the country, usually descending on an unsuspecting locale, tied to an event such as a quilt show. Deb participated in one Swarm years ago, when it was in Connecticut and she could minimize being away from the family. This time, we were heading to Lancaster, PA where a huge quilt show was going to be. There were to be some 20+ women and 8 spouses. Deb assured me we’d have time together, that I’d enjoy doing “guy” things and that I’d have time for myself.
We left New York City on Thursday afternoon, skirting rush hour and zipping south with remarkable progress. There were delays for construction and congestion here and there once we made into Pennsylvania, but we got to the Lodge in under three hours. In fact, the gaggle had planned dinner for 6:30 and as we strolled in moments before 7, the appetizers were just being brought out and conveniently, two seats were available for us.
The people have come from all over: Massachusetts, Texas, Ohio, Louisiana, Virginia, etc. We were definitely at the young end of the scale but Deb was thrilled to see people she hadn’t seen in a while and meet others who had been just names on various e-mail groups.
The Lodge we were in was remarkably, something like 5 miles from where we stayed last summer, in Intercourse, and therefore all the landmarks were familiar. We were in one of the cottages that the married couples used. Single women were housed in a giant building that offered a large common room and kitchen set up, which became home base.
After the plain but filling (and cheap) dinner, the women gathered in the great room. I helped carry in a six-foot table we brought, got it set up so they had a work surface for their work and then followed the lead of the other men, and went back to my room. I spent the remainder of the night watching the Phillies-Marlins game and reading.
Friday morning was relaxed. Once we were up, we headed out in search for breakfast, clearly having turned right when we should have turned left. Finding nothing, we returned to the great room for coffee and Danish, not healthy but filling. By 9, several of the women had loaded up cars and headed out. Deb took the minivan with the last of the attendees and went to join them.
That left me with five of the other guys. Our plan was to head over to the Strasberg Railroad, which we did but no one managed to figure out the hours in advance. As a result, we wound up there 40 minutes before it opened. So, we strolled across the street to the Pennsylvania Rail Museum, paid our admission and wandered in. The place is huge, considering it was holding numerous train cars on six tracks along with walkways, displays, etc. And it’s expanding as construction worked all along the front of the building.
The museum displays do a nice job giving you the history of the train engines, their connection to Pennsylvania and individual notes about the specific rail cars. They certainly knew how to build things to last back in the day. Many of the engines were built throughout the nineteenth century but weren’t retired until well past the mi-twentieth century. Also, many of these cars had been refurbished and restored for the 1939 World’s Fair so keeping them neat and working didn’t seem to be a problem.
We visited for a while but headed back in time for the noon tour. Our guide did a good job mixing in history as well as detailing what each part of the work shop does. I felt as if I was dropping into yet another world with its own set of inhabitants and customs. It appears that this facility does a lot of custom repair and fabrication work for private individuals and other rail museums around the country. The tools were huge and heavy, the nuts and bolts the size of screwdrivers. He was honest about what was restored and what was augmented with modern steel as opposed to wood.
The 45 minute tour was running long but we had to abandon it to make the 1 p.m. train ride. It’s a 9 mile round trip back and forth on this one spur line, but it means riding in nineteenth-styled cars with a real steam engine and being taken through Amish farm land. Very tranquil and pleasant. We had just enough time to stop and buy box lunches and overpriced water bottles so dined with pleasure.
After the ride we decided to head back to the Museum and finish our visit. There was certainly plenty to see in addition to a few video loops on aspects of the trains’ impact on society plus a simulator to see what it was like to be a train engineer.
By 3 or so, we were done and tired so headed back to the room. I read and wrote and Deb returned, sated from her quilt show visiting but ready for fabric shopping Saturday.
Two of the women were running late returning from the show and by the time they returned we would have not been able to eat at the selected buffet restaurant before it closed so we wound up at Plain & Fancy, a family-style buffet that Deb and I had enjoyed last summer. Fortunately, every one this summer enjoyed it, too.
That night the women had the pleasure of accepting door prizes that one had collected from manufacturers and retailers. Some of the women were not there that night, so I was collecting things on behalf of Gigi, which led to a weekend-long new nickname. Afterwards came the show and tell while Howard and I held up the larger pieces for the oohing and aahing. Some very impressive craftsmanship was on display.
Saturday, we were up and moving early. Deb and I decided to try the diner a quarter-mile up the road a-piece. The fresh food was pretty tasty. Once everyone was awake enough, we reviewed the plans, confirmed the sun meant the barbecue for dinner was on and then lined up to fill cars to begin swarming through the vicinity.
Our first, and furthest stop, was way out of the way to a large, clean, and well-stocked fabric shop. I found another piece for Deb’s baseball stash, which will some day become a quilt for me. Meantime, she found plenty of stuff from her shopping list, enabling her to complete projects.
At the second stop, smaller, more cramped and feeling kind of old, there was a wide variety of bulk foods for sale. Finally, something I could shop for. While I doubt I needed 3-pound bags of pineapple gelatin, I did find some spices, dried fruits, treats, nuts and the like at very reasonable prices.
Our group leaders, Karen and Bill, then directed us to a fabulous 50’s style diner in the area. I wandered in first and the hostess asked if I was 2 and said, no, 13. Her eyes bulged. As she was setting up, I corrected it to 15 but by then she was cheerfully into the swing of things. The food was quite good and everyone had a good time.
Some women had stayed behind to sew, others headed first back to the quilt show and others quietly returned home, having exhausted their disposable income. As a result, our numbers rose and fell throughout the day at each stop which gave it a lively feel.
Our final stop was back in Intercourse, which I knew well from last summer. As Deb and the women wandered their shops, John and I checked out the Intercourse Pretzel Factory and a cannery. I have now made sure our larder at home is stocked with goodies for just us adults.
After dropping our passengers off, Deb and I quickly checked out a local farmer’s market but since it was minutes before closing, they were pretty well picked over. We got some peaches and headed back to the lodge. By then, three grills were up and running with burgers, chicken and sausage already cooking. We gathered tables, chairs and other necessities and fairly quickly, we all convened for a pleasant evening of food and conversation.
As it got dark, we policed the area and settled back into the lodge’s great room, where a few final door prizes were handed out and more conversation ensured.
Sunday morning it was time to pack and get ready to roll. We were up ahead of the alarm and decided to help eat the massive amounts of food still left (everyone seemed to buy, bake or bring wonderful stuff) for breakfast. As the room reached critical mass, Karen tried to get everyone focused on next year’s event. Sounds like it’ll be a sewing-intensive retreat in Texas so this one will be just for the women. Given the heavy concentration of members in the New England area, there is a possibility I’ll be brought along for a mini-swarm when a member makes it here from Australia.
We packed the car, said our goodbyes and were on the road earlier than expected. Our drive was pleasant and uneventful until we reached Stamford. A quick trip to J. Jill for Deb to take advantage of a sale and then home. We reached the house around 3, unpacked, petted the dogs, sorted newspapers and mail, checked phone message and three days’ worth of e-mail and so on. By 5:30 we were tired and worn from a busy but happy weekend, so it was one final trip out for some food and then settled in for the evening with some television, some food and some peace and quiet.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 01:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 06, 2006
Writer's Block - Fact or Fiction?
I was talking with a writer pal of mine and he lamented he had just gone through a bout of writer’s block. I scoffed at the notion, having never experienced it myself. A little later, I mentioned it to Kate, who argued that yes, it was a real phenomenon. To her, there has been more than one instance of staring at a blank page, uncertain how to write a class assignment.
I’ve also heard of writers who haven’t published for year’s claiming they have been horribly blocked.
From my experience, it may be true that you’re blocked on the one topic or assignment but not blocked from writing. I trained, as it were, as a journalist, always on deadline. Writer’s block was not acceptable and you had to put words on paper, editing as you go or rewriting afterwards. As a result, I have become a strong first draft writer, never hesitating to get started. Also, I tend to think about what I intend to write before actually committing words to screen. Once I start, it tends to flow.
I also have several things going on at once, so if I can’t think of a good hook or opening for Project A, I can easily turn to Project B and something will come. To my way of thinking, people blocked tend to be blocked only on the one project, not on writing. So, yes, students like Kate may experience trouble with the specific assignment and its attendant deadline.
Writer’s Block can also be a crutch, and an easy out when stumped. There are some who torture themselves unable to write Project A and only willing to write Project A. Until they write Project A, all other works stops. Therefore, they let themselves be blocked.
Now, as it turns out, my pal used Block as an excuse for laziness and a little crisis of confidence as some of his more recent works have not sold as yet (they will, they’re good) and public recognition has been limited at best. Still, he has ideas aplenty, all clamoring for attention so I know he’s not really blocked. Sometimes, that’s where a swift kick in the ass from editor, agent, spouse or friend is required.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 02:21 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
September 04, 2006
Robbie's Great Adventure Begins
Robbie is off to college today. This marks a turning point for him – and for us.
Ever since Kate left, Robbie has felt the day looming larger. He had become the focus of our attention as we made certain he had everything he needed, which seemed to translate into a series of shopping trips. He felt the heaviness of the transition as one friend, then another, then another left for their own journey. Brooke and Maryann, who have been friends with Robbie since we moved in nearly 14 years ago, had a final sleepover before Maryann headed north. Robbie awoke at 4:30 a.m. and trooped around the block to see her off, sharing the moment with Brooke. When Brooke left, a few days later, he was there to see her off.
Fortunately, Naomi was setting the schedule at Cold Stone so he got extra shifts, filling the emptier hours. She also saw to it, all the veterans from Cold Stone would work together on the 1st, their final day together. They were allowed to stay after-hours, partying. Robbie and Naomi braved the Saturday storm and headed up a dinner party for a different circle of friends.
Along the way, he was cleaning his room, the basement, the computer nook; organizing his belongings and tossing out a ton of stuff. His text books began to arrive in the mail and it was all starting to feel very, very real to him.
He’s letting himself getting wound up, uncertain of his ability to survive college. Deb and I would have shared that feeling a few years ago when he was struggling with school and life. Then came Aquaculture, some self-assuredness and maturity. Now, neither one of us doubts he is up to the task of handling life on his own from keeping his dorm neat to doing his homework. We’re both very proud of the accomplishments and the road he’s traveled and are confident these next four years will be challenging but ultimately successful ones for him.
On Saturday, as the winds blew and the branches broke from trees, Deb and Robbie finished the organizing and the packing. He had whipped himself up with anxiety over the amount of time this would take so Deb and I carefully downplayed any anxiousness we felt. They were done in something like two hours. We ran out for a three-hour series of stops that finished (we hoped) the shopping for school.
Sunday was clear and sunny, which made us happy. After church, we loaded the mini-van and then drove up to school. Being just 65 miles away, the trip flew by and we were unpacking the car before we knew it. Coincidentally, also unpacking was a mother and daughter, who have a cousin that went to high school with Robbie so an instant connection was made.
His room is small. Smaller than Kate’s dorm at GWU and smaller than any room Deb or I had at Binghamton. Still, once we were done putting things away, there was a surprising amount of leftover storage space. The furniture is sturdy and should survive him. The building needs more outlets and lord knows where they will find room for the mini-fridge but that’s a Tuesday conundrum when his roommate, Alexander, arrives.
Yesterday was move in day for students who asked for an exemption from Tuesday. Since Deb nor I felt like taking a day off from work, or stressing Rob by asking him to move in, acclimate himself to a roommate, find his way around campus and then begin classes 24 hours later, we thought this would work.
Still, the bookstore closed early so we missed picking up his final books. Finished in the room, we made a list of missing items and drove home. We had our typical Sunday dinner and relaxed.
Today, we’ve gone out, gotten the last of the items (all small stuff), and will drive him back – for good – in the later afternoon. We’ll finish moving him in, help with some wiring and decorating and then feed him a fine dinner. Then, we’ll head home and begin our own new chapter.
Tonight we’ll sleep in the house, just the two of us and the dogs. The Empty Nest prologue of our life begins, counting down until both kids are graduated and permanently moved out of the house. We’ve had plenty of time to adjust and get used to it as the kids were out more nights than not throughout the summer. Still, this has a bit more sense of permanence and we’re both kind of looking forward to it.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 02:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 03, 2006
The Fall Season Begins
You can tell fall has rapidly descended on us. The temperatures have moderated, the kids are back in school and the new prime time series have begun to debut.
Deb and I have sampled the two new Fox entries, Vanished and Justice and so far the, ahem, jury is still out on them.
Two episodes in, Vanished seems to be a nest of mysteries in search of compelling characters. While filled with attractive and familiar performers, including Ming-Na, Esai Morales, and Rebecca Gayheart, to them, it’s all about the work. We really don’t have anything more than a surface feel for the characters they play thus depriving us from getting to feel for them. Without that appeal, all we’re left is the mystery.
Or mysteries. The pilot was packed with so many threads it felt overdone. Every single character, it seemed, had a mystery of their own, making you wonder if anyone led an honest life. And from the teasers we know there remains one more big mystery, the red-cloaked men who seem to be behind some major political conspiracy.
Our protagonist is Agent Graham Kelton, put on a high profile case six months after blowing a high profile case. So of course he’s filled with doubts and anxieties and in the real world would never have been given this case. But the plotters of the crime seem to know he was going to get the case since some of the clues seem personal, which is yet another mystery to be solved.
From what we can tell, this will be a season-long mystery, which is the storyline du jour. After being pioneered more or less by 24, so many series are using it that it has rapidly become cliché. It will all come down to execution.
Same with Justice, from Jerry Bruckheimer. I was first attracted to it since the series stars Victor Garber, whose work I enjoy. But it sounded like an intriguing premise so we tried the first episode this week. We have the four lawyers, all of whom have their assigned roles, the defendant, and the search for the truth. Or at least the search for the case to be presented, truth optional. The nice touch here is that we’ll see the actual reality of the crime in question at the end of each episode so we, not the jury, will know how effective the lawyers at Trott, Nicholson, Tuller & Graves truly are.
But it also seems like a straight-jacket of a premise so every week we’ll see Victor Garber spin before the media, Kerr Smith earnestly address the jury, Rebecca Mader look attractive while coaching witnesses and Eamonn Walker oversee the associates who do the real digging. Thus it falls to the crime of the week and the guest cast to make us come back time and again, which is a burden for the writing staff.
The first case seemed interesting enough and the story moved along at a lightning pace (too jumpy if you ask Deb). Still, we didn’t fall instantly in love with the show or its characters.
In both cases, as the end credits rolled, we agreed we’ll give both a chance until the schedule fills and we have to make choices. We’re both savvy enough viewers to know the first episodes are a shakedown period it’s not until the fourth or fifth shows you get a real feel for what the series will be long time. There are rare instances you fall in love with a show from the outset – it’s more likely you come to hate a first episode and never come back than it is to instantly fall in love with a series.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 08:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 02, 2006
Now on Sale
Star Trek: Constellations is now in bookstores from coast to coast and the early comments have been encouraging. Hopefully, people will enjoy the experience. I read the entire book a week back and am pleased to be in such good company.
Following a growing trend among Trek authors, an annotations page has been compiled by Allyn Gibson, who wrote the most moving story in the collection. Most but not all of the writers have contributed to this including yours truly so, once you’ve finished the book, check it out.
For those who’ve read “The Landing Party”, I’d love to hear what you think.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 04:13 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack